Odor mitigation with tree buffers: Swine production case study

Abstract

Vegetative environmental buffers (VEB) are a potentially low cost sustainable odor mitigation strategy, but there is little to no data supporting their effectiveness. Wind tunnel experiments and field monitoring were used to determine the effect VEB had on wind flow patterns within a swine facility. Particle and odorous compound concentrations were monitored before and after the VEB. Wind tunnel experiments indicated that building orientation had about the same impact on air flow patterns as the combined buildings and VEB. Field monitoring studies revealed that air flow patterns at a swine facility were dynamic showing intense instability during the heat of the day, but stable air in the evening hours indicating that air during the day was controlled by vertical movement into the atmosphere while in the evening air patterns show a collapse mostly horizontal movement. Total particle counts before and after the vegetative buffer were reduced by over 40% and odorous compound concentrations for volatile fatty acids, phenol and indole compounds were reduced by 40-60%. Plant material taken from trees in the vegetative buffer showed no significant loading gradients between materials facing the swine facility and those opposite the swine facility. There were significantly higher loadings of odorous VFAs, phenolic, and indole compounds on plant material for samples taken from 2.7 m compared to samples taken from either 0.6 or 1.3 m indicating that vertical transport was major transport mechanism for odor at the swine facility. RightsWorks produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted. b s t r a c tVegetative environmental buffers (VEB) are a potentially low cost sustainable odor mitigation strategy, but there is little to no data supporting their effectiveness. Wind tunnel experiments and field monitoring were used to determine the effect VEB had on wind flow patterns within a swine facility. Particle and odorous compound concentrations were monitored before and after the VEB. Wind tunnel experiments indicated that building orientation had about the same impact on air flow patterns as the combined buildings and VEB. Field monitoring studies revealed that air flow patterns at a swine facility were dynamic showing intense instability during the heat of the day, but stable air in the evening hours indicating that air during the day was controlled by vertical movement into the atmosphere while in the evening air patterns show a collapse mostly horizontal movement. Total particle counts before and after the vegetative buffer were reduced by over 40% and odorous compound concentrations for volatile fatty acids, phenol and indole compounds were reduced by 40-60%. Plant material taken from trees in the vegetative buffer showed no significant loading gradients between materials facing the swine facility and those opposite the swine facility. There were significantly higher loadings of odorous VFAs, phenoli...

Particulate capture efficiency of a vegetative environmental buffer surrounding an animal feeding operation

“…Wind tunnel studies (Laird 1997;Thernelius 1997) have proven useful for examining the entire plume extent, while field campaigns (Parker et al 2012;Hernandez et al 2012;Malone et al 2006a;Lin et al 2006) have provided data in a more realistic setting. Past field campaigns have used either point sensors or trained human panelists, but these measurements can only help quantify particulate reduction between the specific locations where they are placed.…”

Stalmaatregelen voor het reduceren van geuremissie uit de intensieve veehouderij

“…Ook naar de afvangst en atmosferische opmenging van gasvormige componenten/geurcomponenten zijn enkele studies verricht (Hernandez et al, 2012;Tyndall & Colletti, 2007;Tyndall & Grala, 2009;Van Dijk et al, 2005). Er kunnen drie mogelijke werkingsprincipes worden onderscheiden: 1) het afvangen van stofdeeltjes met geurcomponenten, 2) het absorberen van gasvormige geurcomponenten, en 3) het vergroten van atmosferische verdunning van ventilatielucht door opstuwing door het groenelement.…”

Crown-Level Tree Species Classification Using Integrated Airborne Hyperspectral and Lidar Remote Sensing Data

“…Agroforestry has been much advocated and practiced in China and around the world in the past five decades because agroforestry combining agricultural and forestry techniques is able to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable land use systems (Zomer et al, 2009). The forests that grow in these areas have significantly positive effects on the fertility of the soil and the productivity of the agricultural land, mitigating the impacts of climate variability and change, conserving biodiversity and improving air and water quality (Hernandez et al, 2012). In addition, woody trees on agricultural land has the potential for carbon (C) sequestration while providing many economic, social, and ecological benefits.…”